A truant is a student who stays away from school without permission or an explanation. Truancy laws are designed to encourage school attendance by creating simple court procedures through which children are held accountable for excessive school absences. The courts focus on the best interest of the child when addressing the truant conduct of a child.

Truant conduct is usually prosecuted or addressed as a civil (noncriminal) matter, and the definition and procedures for dealing with truancy are usually located in a state's statutes—often in the family code or education code.

In Connecticut, truancy is addressed under state statutes that emphasize the importance of school attendance and outline the procedures for dealing with excessive unexcused absences. Connecticut General Statutes Section 10-198a defines a 'truant' as a child age five to eighteen who has four unexcused absences from school in one month or ten unexcused absences in a school year. The statutes require schools to adopt and implement policies to address truancy, which may include the creation of a 'student attendance review team' to review individual cases of truancy and recommend interventions. If truancy persists, the matter may be referred to the Superior Court where a judge can issue orders that are in the best interest of the child, which may include educational support or services, and in some cases, may involve the Department of Children and Families. The focus is on providing support and resources to the child and family to resolve the underlying issues contributing to truancy, rather than punitive measures.